Canadian government eyeing vaccines after monkeypox outbreak in Quebec

The federal government said it is exploring the possibility of using the smallpox vaccine to protect Quebecers from the recent outbreak of the disease's cousin, monkeypox.

Late Thursday, Quebec's health ministry confirmed Canada's first two cases of monkeypox were in the province.  

As of Friday morning, Montreal public health reported 18 suspected cases of the rare disease, in addition to the two positive infections. 

During a virtual media briefing Friday, Deputy Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Howard Njoo said the smallpox vaccine, which hasn't been used in Canada since the 1970s, appears to be effective against monkeypox and that the federal government is exploring its use for monkeypox.

"We have some doses and we are always ready. We're talking at the moment with the province of Quebec about the possibility of using it," Njoo told reporters.

Smallpox vaccination ended in Canada in 1972 after the shots helped eradicate the disease, but public health chief Theresa Tam said there are discussions in Canada and around the world about reviewing their efficacy on monkeypox.

She said Canada has a "limited" supply of those vaccines in stock but said she couldn't provide an exact number due to security reasons.

Earlier this month, the Public Health Agency of Canada placed an order for 500,000 vials of the smallpox vaccine Imvamune, which also gives protection against monkeypox. However, these doses won’t be delivered until April 2023.

So far, the outbreak of the disease appears to be contained in Quebec, although Dr. Tam said there are "a couple" of cases under investigation in British Columbia as well. 

The Ministry of Health and Social Services said Thursday that investigations are underway to determine the links between the cases found in the Montreal area "and to identify potentially at-risk contacts and inform them of protective measures."

The World Health Organization called an emergency meeting on Friday to discuss the recent outbreak of more than 100 confirmed and suspected cases of monkeypox in Europe. 

Public health officials in Quebec say, however, there is no reason to panic over the outbreak in Quebec as the transmission of monkeypox is believed to come from "prolonged and close contact" with an infected person. They also stress that it is less contagious than other viral infections, like the flu and COVID-19.

Symptoms include fever, fatigue, and headache in the first few days of infection, followed by rashes on the face and other parts of the body. 

-- With files from The Canadian Press and CTV News' Brooklyn Neustaeter